Clothes dryer utilizing suction duct extending into drum interior

Abstract

A clothes dryer in accordance with the present invention includes a drum rotatably supported in a case having an interior space for drying clothes. Air for drying clothes is supplied to the suction duct that is connected to one side of the drum. An extension duct extending from the suction duct into the drum supplies the air from the suction duct into the drum. An exhaust duct is connected to the other side of the drum for exhausting the air that is used to dry clothes to the outside of the case. The clothes dryer uniformly dries clothes inputted into the drum as the dryer directly transmits heated air to the center portion of the drum, thereby improving clothes drying efficiency.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A clothes dryer comprising: 
       a case;  
       a drum rotatably supported in the case and having a space for drying clothes within said drum;  
       a suction duct being connected to a first side of the drum for supplying air to said drum for drying clothes;  
       an extension duct extending from the suction duct into the drum, wherein air supplied from the suction duct into the drum flows through a plurality of air holes within said extension duct; and  
       an exhaust duct being connected to a second side of the drum for exhausting air within said drum to an exterior of said case.  
     
     
       2. The dryer according to  claim 1 , wherein the extension duct extends to a position aligned with a rotational center of the drum with respect to a longitudinal direction of the drum. 
     
     
       3. The dryer according to  claim 1 , wherein the extension duct has an end portion extending to a center portion of the drum. 
     
     
       4. The dryer according to  claim 1 , wherein the extension duct is formed in a cylindrical shape and said plurality of air holes are formed on circumferential and end surfaces of said extension duct. 
     
     
       5. A clothes dryer, comprising: 
       a case;  
       a drum rotatably supported in the case and having a space for drying clothes within said drum;  
       a suction duct being connected to a first side of the drum for supplying air to said drum for drying clothes;  
       an extension duct extending from the suction duct into the drum, wherein air supplied from the suction duct into the drum flows through said extension duct; and  
       an exhaust duct connected to a second side of the drum for exhausting air within said drum to an exterior of the case; wherein the drum has two air suction ports connected to the suction duct on a rear side of the drum and the extension duct is connected to a first air suction port of said two air suction ports.  
     
     
       6. The dryer according to  claim 5 , wherein a first air suction port of said two air suction ports which is not connected to the extension duct is formed a certain distance apart from a rotational center of the drum. 
     
     
       7. The dryer according to  claim 5 , wherein a second air suction port of said two air suction ports which is connected to the extension duct is positioned at a rotational center of the drum. 
     
     
       8. The dryer according to  claim 5 , wherein a first air suction port of said two air suction ports which is not connected to the extension duct is formed having a surface area increasing along a direction extending from a rotational center of said drum toward an outer circumferential surface of said drum. 
     
     
       9. The dryer according to  claim 1 , wherein the drum comprises 
       a rotating body having a cylindrical shape,  
       a stationary front plate and a stationary rear plate engaged with front and rear sides of the body,  
       an inlet portion of the exhaust duct connected to the front plate, and  
       the suction duct and the extension duct are connected to the rear plate.  
     
     
       10. The dryer according to  claim 9 , wherein the exhaust duct is connected at a front side of the front plate. 
     
     
       11. The dryer according to  claim 9 , wherein the front plate has a cylindrical portion extending a certain length in a longitudinal direction of the body from an outer circumferential surface of the rotating body and the exhaust duct is connected to an exhaust port formed at the lower side of the cylindrical portion. 
     
     
       12. The dryer according to  claim 1 , wherein the exhaust duct recirculates a portion of the air exhausted from within the drum back into the drum through the suction duct. 
     
     
       13. The dryer according to  claim 1 , wherein a heater for heating suction air is installed at an inlet portion of the suction duct and the exhaust duct discharges a portion of the air exhausted from the drum to a front side of the heater and recirculates the portion of the air into the drum. 
     
     
       14. The dryer according to  claim 1 , wherein the exhaust duct comprises: 
       a first exhaust duct for exhausting air from the drum to an exterior of the case; and  
       a second exhaust duct diverged from the first exhaust duct for exhausting a portion of the air exhausted from the drum to a front side of the suction duct.  
     
     
       15. The dryer according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
       a fan for moving air between the suction duct and exhaust duct; and  
       a driving motor, wherein the fan and the drum are rotated and driven by the driving motor.  
     
     
       16. The dryer according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
       a fan for moving air between the suction duct and exhaust duct; and  
       a first and a second driving motor, wherein the fan and the drum are each rotated and driven by the first and the second driving motors, respectively.  
     
     
       17. A clothes dryer comprising: 
       a case;  
       a drum having  
       a rotatable body supported in the case, and  
       a front plate and a rear plate engaged with stationary front and rear sides of the body;  
       a suction duct being connected to the rear plate of the drum supplying air to said drum for drying clothes;  
       an extension duct extending from the suction duct into the drum, wherein air supplied from the suction duct into the drum flows through said extension duct toward a rotational center of said drum; and  
       an exhaust duct connected to the front plate of the drum for exhausting air to an exterior of said case, wherein the front plate of said drum includes a cylindrical portion extending a certain length in a longitudinal direction of the body from an outer circumferential surface of the drum, said cylindrical portion having an exhaust port at a lower portion thereof, and said exhaust duct is connected to the exhaust port of the cylindrical portion.  
     
     
       18. A clothes dryer comprising: 
       a case;  
       a drum having  
       a rotatable body supported in the case, and  
       a front plate and a rear plate engaged with stationary front and rear sides of the body;  
       a suction duct being connected to the rear plate of the drum supplying air to said drum for drying clothes;  
       an exhaust duct being connected to the front plate of the drum for exhausting air to an exterior of the case; and  
       an air suction port formed on the rear plate of said drum and connected to the air suction port, wherein the air suction port is formed having a tapered shape increasing in area as the air suction port extends away from a rotational center of the drum.  
     
     
       19. A clothes dryer, comprising: 
       a case;  
       a drum rotatably supported in the case and having an interior space for drying clothes within said drum;  
       a suction duct being connected to a first side of the drum supplying air to said drum for drying clothes;  
       an extension duct extending from the suction duct into the drum, wherein air supplied from the suction duct into the drum flows through a plurality of air holes within said extension duct toward a rotational center of said drum;  
       a first exhaust duct being connected to a second side of the drum for exhausting air within said drum to the outside of the case; and  
       a second exhaust duct diverging from the first exhaust duct for exhausting a portion of the air exhausted from the drum to a front side of the suction duct.  
     
     
       20. The dryer according to  claim 19 , further comprising a heater for heating suction air being installed at an inlet portion of the suction duct, wherein the exhaust duct recirculates a portion of the air exhausted from the exhaust duct into the drum by exhausting the air to a front side of the heater. 
     
     
       21. The dryer according to  claim 8 , wherein the air suction port which is not connected to the extension duct is formed having an inverted trapezoidal shape.